Supporting bar



April 1930- K. H. WHITNEY 1,752,472

SUPPORTING BAR Filed March 8, 1928 FQQ. 3 g. M

6km m2 1,

Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE mm. H. WHITNEY, OI KIBKSVILLE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T WHITMANIS MANU- I'ACTUBING comm, OF KIBKSVILLE, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 01 MISSOURI;

SUPPORTING BAR Application filed larch 8, 1928. Serial No. 260,168.

My invention relates to improvements in supporting bar adapted to support clothlng in closets and to support window hangings relative to window or door frames, and for similar purposes. One of its objects is to provide a supporting bar adjustable as to length comprising a plurality of sectlons telescopically relatively adjustable, and

means operable to thrust the end sections axi- 1 ally of the supporting bar firmly into engagement with supporting abutments to retain the bar in position. Another object is to pro- 1 vide in combination with the adjustable secthe distance between the abutments to be employed to support the bar, and means operable to later thrust the end sections of the bar firmly into engagement with the supporting abutments. M invention also comprises certain details 0 form and arrangement and combination of components, all of which w1ll be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawin s, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a side e ovation of a supportlng bar embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a central horizontal section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on l1ne 33 of Fig. 2.

Fi 4 is a perspective view of the thrusting mem er shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 detached.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating a modification thereof.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail illustrating a modification.

The accompanying drawings lllustrate modifications of my invention. As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the supporting abutments 15 and 16 may be the walls of a room, closet, orjbath room, or may be the sides of a window frame or door frame, oran similar rigid members between which it 1s es red to detachably mount and support one of my supporting bars for the purpose of supporting clothing, draperies, or any other articles. The main sections 17 and 18 of the bar are preferably tubular and of metal, and one sufficiently larger than the other so that one, the bar 18 for instance, may telescope for a portion of its length within the other section 17. Where the bars 17 and 18 telescope, a pair of ears or projections 19 are formed on the section 17 and a locking cam or latch member 20 is pivotally attached to the ears 19 by means of a journal pin 22. When in the full line position Figs. 1 and 3 the cam member 20 serves to lock the section 18 rigidly to the section 17 against movement axially thereof. In the dotted line position of the cam member 20, shown in Fig. 3, the section 18 is unlocked from section 17, and free to be adjusted axially thereof.

A metal shoe member 24 is provided with two cars 25 pivotally attached to the end of section 18 by means of a pivot pin 26. The member 24 is channel shaped and receives a block of soft rubber, cork, or similar resilient material 27, which bears against and is held in frictional engagement with one of the abutments. 15 or 16.

The end of the section 17, opposite to where the ears 19 are attached, is slotted inwardl from the end upon opposite sides at 30. X channel shaped shoe member 31 has a shank 32 which is telescopically adjustable within the end of the section 17 and is provided with studs 33 projecting therefrom into the slots to guide said shank 32 and prevent it from turning relative to section 17. An eccentric or cam 35 is mounted upon an axle 36 journaled in opposite sides of the section 17 and provided outside of the section 17 with a hand crank 37, by means of which the axle 36 and member 35 are rocked from one position of adjustment to another. The face of the cam 35 is in engagement with the end of the shank 32, and serves to force the shank 32 and shoe member 31 outwardly relative to section 17 and toward one of the supporting abutments. A block of soft rubber, cork or similar 'elding material 38 is held in place in the c annel of member 31 and is adapted to be thrust into frictional engagement with one of the supporting abutments to hold the ative to the supporting abutments. If desired the slots 30 may be extended inwardly to the point where the axle 36 is journaled, so

as to enable both the shank 32 and the axle 36 with the cam 35 thereon to be introduced from the end of section 17 or removed therefrom. If desired the shank 32 may be made longer and the members 19, 20 and 22 applied to adj ustably lock the shank 32 relative to the bar section 17, while the cam member 35, and its axle may be shifted into position to engage and thrust against the inner end of bar section 18 to force the shoes into engagement with the supporting abutments 15 and 16.

In the modification Fi 5 the bar is the same as heretofore described except that in place of the cam 35, axle 36 and hand crank 37, a cam lever 40 is mounted upon an axle 41 j ournaled at opposite ends in the walls of section 42 corresponding to the section 17 of Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The handle 43 of the lever 40 projects through a slot 44 in the lower s de of the section 42. In the full line positlon Fig. 5 the cam lever 40 has thrust the shoe 31 toward a supporting abutment, and is locked in this osition relative to section 42 by reason of eing slightly past a dead center position, while the free end of the handle 43 engages the exterior of section 42 at 45 to prevent further movement past dead center. When the cam 40 is in its dotted line position Fig. 5, the shoe 31 is in its retracted position.

In the modification Fig. 6, the bar section 62 corresponds to the bar section 17 of Fig. 1, and is constructed by bending a piece of sheet metal into a bar which is tubular or channel shaped in cross section, preferably with upturned edges 63. The bar section 64 is also bent from sheet metal to tubular or channel shaped cross section, and of dimensions to telescope into the end of the bar section 62. An actuatinglever 65 having a handle 67 corresponding to the actuating lever 40 and 43 of Fig. 5 is pivotally mounted upon a transverse pin 66', and preferably engages the end of the shank section 32 to force the shoes into engagement with the su porting abutment-s 15 and 16. If desired the shank 32 maybe made longer and clamped 'to bar section 62 by a clamp 20, and the lever 65 and 67 made to engage the inner end of section 64 to thrust the shoes against the abutments. The handle .67 projects out through the open channel between the members 63. k

The sections 17 and 18 are telescopically overlapped for a sufficient distance to provide for supporting near the center of the sup porting bar any amount of weight liable to be suspended therefrom, and also to provide for adjusting the total length of the supporting bar within a considerable range of adjustment. The coarse adjustment is made between the bar sections 17 and 18, and the final thrust of the shoes against the abutments is effected by means of the cam- 35 or cam 40 acting against the end of the shank 32.

The tubular sections 17 and 18 may be of circular cross-section, or of rectangular or other cross-sectional pattern as may be desired.

The apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerable modification within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit'of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with supporting abutments, a supporting bar comprising a first bar section, a second bar section adjustable telescopically relative to said first bar section, means to lock said bar sections rigidly in their relative adjusted positions, a shoe member having a resilient abutment engaging face attached to the free end of said first bar section, a shoe member having a resilient abutment engaging face movable endwise relative to the free end of said second bar sec tion, and lever mechanism located between and supported by opposite walls of said second bar section and operable to increase and decrease the distance between said shoe members to engage and disengage said shoe members from said abutments.

2. In combination with supporting abutments, a supporting bar comprising a first tubular bar section, a second tubular bar section slidably telescopically adjustable relative to said first bar section, means to lock said bar sections rigidly in their relative adjusted positions, a shoe member having a resilient abutment engaging face attached to the free end of said-first bar section, a shoe member having a resilient abutment engaging face movable endwise relative to said second bar section, and lever mechanism interposed between opposite walls of said second bar section and between said second bar section and the shoe member attached thereto and operable to increase and decrease the distance between said shoe members to engage and disengage said shoe members from said supporting abutments.

3. A supporting bar comprising a first bar section having a shoe member at one end thereof, a second bar section having a. shoe memher at one end thereof, a telescopic joint intermediate of said' shoe members, an actuating lever located intermediate of the side Walls of one of said telescopic joint members and pivotally supported upon a pivot pin mounted transversely of said telescopic joint and supported at opposite ends in the side walls of one member'of said telescopic joint, said actuating lever serving to engage the op posite telescopic joint member and forcibly adjust said telescopic joint members endwise thereof to cause said shoes to be engaged with and disengaged from supporting abutments.

4. A suporting bar comprising a plurality of metal bar sections each having a top wall and two spaced side walls and adapted to be relatively adjusted telescopically, a shoe member attached to the free end of each bar section, a lever supporting axle supported in the side walls of one of said telescopic joint members and spanning the intermediate space between said side walls, a lever mounted upon said axle intermediate of said side walls and having engagement with the opposite telescopic joint member and operable to forcibly adjust said telescopic joint members endwise of said bar section.

' In testimony whereof I have atfixed my signature.

KARL H. WHITNEY. 

